Buggy-shaft



(No Model.)

- J. H. BURGESS.

BUGGY'SHAFTS.

No. 367,183. Patented July 26, 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES HENRY BURGESS, OF SOUTH PITTSBURG, TENNESSEE.

BUGGY-SHAFT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 367,183, dated July 26, 1887.

- Application filed May 18, 1887. Serial No. 238,663. (No model.)

, GESS, of South Pittsburg, in the county of Mercer and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buggy and Carriage Shafts; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My'invention relates to an improvement in buggy and carriage shafts; and it consists in the combination of the shafts, the cross-barwhich unites them together, and the combined frame or corner plate, which is secured to both the shafts and cross-bar, and in which is placed the spring-actuated trace-hook, as will be more fully described hereinafter. i

The object of my invention is not only to brace the shafts and the cross-bar together by a suitable plate or casting, but to place in the casting the trace-hooks, and thus do. away with all necessity for a singletree, whereby the parts are made stronger and more secure than where they are constructed in the usual manner.

Figure l is a plan view of a pair of shafts to which my invention is applied. Fig. 2 is an inverted view of the same. Fig. 3 is an inverted view of one of the plates or castings in which the trace-hook is applied.

A represents the two shafts, and B the crossbar by which they are connected together. Applied to each end of the cross-bar B and to the shafts is the metallic casting or brace C,

front end of the trace-hook projects through the front end of the casting, and to this hook the rear ends of the traces are fastened, thus doing away with all necessity for the singletree which is generally used. Each hook being spring-actuated, not only prevents any jerking or straining of the horse in pulling or when obstructions are encountered, but they allow each trace a movement independent of the other, and thus all of the advantages of the singletree without any of the defects are gained. These castings do away with the part of the cast-iron which is welded on all buggyshafts which have just the straight shaft-iron. In the rear end of the socket G is formed a slot, through which a guide, J, on the shank of the hook I projects, and which serves to hold the hook I always in its proper position. Were it not for this guide the traces would turn freely around, and thus the points of the hooks would be always turning. These castings can be applied both to single and double buggies.

I am aware that spring-hooks have heretofore been attached to the shafts of vehicles,

but never before have the frames been provided with flanges which extend along the sides of both the shafts and cross-bar, so as to brace and strengthen them at their point of 

